Love, War and Friendship - The Wizarding Way

Told From Harry's POV

"What is going on?" Mrs. Weasley asks. She sounds horrified. "What did you do to Hermione? That poor girl."

"What did we do to her?" Ron repeats incredulously. "More like what she did to us."

I ignore the sounds of another Weasley scabble. I'm too confused. Memories of Hermione are flashing through my mind. It's hard to believe she would do this to me. I had a mental image of the girl, who'd been there for me through thick pulling out my heart, cackling all the while. Tears leaked from my eyes. I hadn't been in love Hermione, true. I hadn't even been sure I liked her but that didn't stop me from feeling more betrayed than ever.

"Oh Harry, dear," Mrs. Weasley cries giving me a big hug. "It's alright."

I shake my head. It wasn't. It couldn't be. Ron was right, things would never be the same. But they didn't have to be like this did they? He could forgive Hermione.

Forgive the biggest betrayal of your life? A voice in his head whispered. How could you be friends with her if you could no longer trust her? You need people you can trust in your life not people who will stab you in the back.

I jump as the sound of breaking glass echos through my ears.

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley exclaims. "Ronald Weasley, what is the meaning of this!"

Ron had just thrown a plate at the wall with all his strength.

"You told us always to express the way we feel," Ron tells her. "Well I feel like breaking things!" He yells, running upstairs before his mother has a chance to say anything. Mrs. Weasley looks shocked.

"Ginny, Harry would one of you please tell me what happened?"

"Something that shouldn't have," I mumble leaving to make sure that Ron's ok.

He wasn't. Although we'd gone over and over this last night. How we felt, what to do with Hermione nothing seemed to have prepared Ron for this. He'd taken everything out of his trunk and was hurling it across the room, his face red with anger.

"Ron!" I shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Getting rid-" a textbook hits the wall with a loud bang, "of everything -" a flying shirt falls onto the bed, "that Hermione ever touched, looked at or gave to me."

"Ron," I say trying to pull the cauldron out of his hands. "You can't do that."

"Why not?" he asks, pushing me away.

"Because it won't do anything. This isn't going to make it go away. .. Besides you can't afford to throw everything away."

Ron glares at me but he puts his potions book down and slowly picks up his dressing robes off the floor.

"The thing is Harry," Ron says, his breathing sounding slightly ragged. "I actually liked her. I really liked her. And to her I was just some guy she could lead on." He starts to cry.

"I know, Ron," I say uncomfortably. "I know."

Pick Ron, Hermione, I think. Please, pick Ron.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

I feel as if I've been crying for hours. There's nothing left for me anymore. But slowly my sobs begin to slow as I lean sadly against the soft cotten of Fred's shirt.

"What happened?" he asks me, his hand tracing shapes on my back comfortingly.

"They know," I say. "They all know and now I have no one all because I couldn't keep my hormones in check." I explain the horrible fight down in the dinning room, my outburst at Ginny and how horrible of a person they thought I was.

More hot tears trickle down my cheeks as Fred pulls away from me. He's leaving me too. He's just as disgusted with me as everyone else. How could I have thought he'd be here for me? He's Ron's brother of course he's going to take Ron's side.

But when look up he's still there kneeling in front of me and wiping away my tears with a kleenx he'd evidentally just conjured up.

He isn't leaving me.

"You have me," he whispers and I can tell just by looking into his eyes that its true. I do.

"Smile," he instructs using his fingertips to push the corners of my mouth up into a grin. "There," he says, satisfied. "Now we are going to think about how we can fix this ok?"

I nod and this time a real smile graces my face. I'm starting to feel better depsite the fact my heart feel's broken in two.

"I don't think there is a way to make it better," I tell him. "Ron told me-"

"Oh don't listen to Ron when he's having a hissy fit," Fred interrupts. "This'll blow over. I know my brother and I know Harry. They'll get over it in no time. The only thing that you can do until they've calmed down is act normal. You can't stay locked up here with me forever, although I can't say I'd mind," he says squeezing my shoulder affectionately.

"Have I really been up here for that long?" I ask my eyes widening as I consult the clock. I've been crying for three hours. My hands creep to my face. I must look horrible. My eyes all puffy, my nose red. I cringe. I can't go down looking like this.

"Hermione, you look fine," Fred reads my mind. "Feel free to go back and sulk in your room but I am going to go get some breakfast," he says, his stomach growling loudly. He heads to the door.

"Coming?"

I'm not sure if I can face them. But I'd feel better doing it with Fred than by myself so I go.

They're all seated at the table when we get there just as they were this morning except Ron, who seems to be missing. I shudder at the thoughts of the harsh words spoken. I notice happily that Ginny gives me a sympathetic smile. The adults have looks of caution on their faces. I assume that none of them know the full story but know that a fight had occured between us.

I clutch Fred's hand tightly as he pulls out two chairs from the table. I want to ask where Ron is but I don't dare ask. I know the response wont be something I want to hear.

Harry gets up from the table and I to have stop myself from running after him to beg and plead that he forgive me because it won't make a difference. He didn't want to speak to me.

Fred piles heaps of toast and waffles onto my plate like I'm an invalid. I don't eat any of it. I can't. If I do it'll just come right back up. Instead I sit pushing the food around with a fork and making polite conversation with the adults.

Tears begin falling from my eyes again as Mrs. Weasley asks me nicely if I'm alright. I don't want her kindness. I don't deserve it.

Once again I run up the stairs. Once again not to my own room. I step into Fred's room ignoring the messy floor and walk into his closest letting the dank darkness suck me in and the sweet smell lull my crying eyes to sleep.

***

Told From Ron's POV

I haven't left the room since this morning. At first it was just because I was too embarrassed to talk to Harry but then just because I felt like wallowing in self pity for awhile.

Harry keeps coming back exactly on the hour to tell me that I'm supposed to come help. He's even gone so far as to use the be a man and deal with it line. He and Ginny have been struggling with the cleaning for hours now all by themselves well boo hoo for them, I think. Neither of them seem to be as heartbroken as I am. If they are they sure aren't showing it.

I lay on my bed staring at the wall, my eyes dry, complating suicide. No, not really but thinking about how much my life sucks. It wouldn't be so bad if Hermione just didn't like me. But she does like me and my best friend at the same time and uses us both. Oh and add flirting with my brother down on her list of sins. Or was he flirting with her? Whatever...it doesn't matter it's the same thing.

I never want to speak to Hermione Granger ever again. Now that I think about it, she's never really been there for me. Just for Harry. She insults me, we fight constantly and when we first met we HATED each other. Why did I ever stop thinking she was a bossy know-it-all? Then I could like someone like Lavender Brown or hell even Pansy Parkinson. Anything to stop feeling like this. Is there some kind of magical potion that can get rid of heartache? I bet there is.

I jump out of bed and grab my potions book. Flipping to the index I look up love, but wait thats not what I'm looking for. Unless I want to curse Hermione so she can't eat, can't sleep anything but me. Nah...Heartache...Heartache...ok its not in here. What else could it be listed under?

"Ron." Harry runs into the room out of breath. "Ron, we can't find Hermione."

"She's probably sitting around making up a new way to manipulate us," I say not really caring. "Harry what do you think a -"

"Ron don't you get it?"

"Get what?" I ask, annoyed. "So look some place else. You didn't expect to find her here did you?"

"Ron!" Harry all but yells. "Remember a certain evil wizard named Voldemort? Remember how if he gets really angry i can read his mind and vice versa? Remember a certain fight we had this morning? Remember how much he wants to hurt me? Your family and I have been looking at her since she didn't come down for lunch. That was four hours ago. We've searched the entire house. GET IT NOW?"

"Hermione," I breath fearfully."You-Know-Who took her?"

"Possibly," he tells me. "Now get off your ass and help us look!"

I drop the book and jump off the bed. "Of course. What do you want me to do?"

"Search anywhere and everywhere," Harry tells me. "She could still be here." With that he runs out of the room and leaves me worrying. Where to look? Where to look? I start dashing into rooms left and right, frantically looking underbeds, in closest, under piles of clothes, anywhere.

If Voldemort took her I'll kill him with my bare hands I swear to God. I jump. I said his name. Oh well it's not going to kill me. I drop the bed curtain im holding. Why am I looking here? My foot can barely fit under there.

I'm about to give up the hunt when I hear a scratching noise in the next room from the closet. I open it cautiously almost expecting to see some Death Eater torturing Hermione but instead Crookshanks meows loudly at me. I look closer and I can see Hermione huddled in the corner still crying.

"Hermione!" I yell as she stands up. "You're ok!"

She stares at me. "Yah...are you sure you're ok, Ron?"

I don't answer but give her a hug. Hermione's ok, I think. The others come barelling into the room, my yells must have alerted them.

"Where have you been?" Harry shouts at Hermione joining out hug. "We've been worried sick! You've been missing for hours and hours!"

"I was in ... the closest," she whispers blushing. Harry grabs her arm.

"Don't ever do it that again. Not while Voldemort is still around, you hear me?" he says. She agrees. Relief overwelmes me as she receives more hugs from Harry, Fred, Ginny and my mom.

"I didn't think you guys would be this worried about me," she says. "Not after this morning."

It comes back to me then: my vow to never speak to Hermione and with it the pain.

"I wasn't," I tell her. "Come on Harry let's go." I need to get away before I start feeling guilty. Harry gives her an Im Sorry smile but comes anyways. He's going to cave leaving me to be the only one still hating Hermione Granger.

"She was crying, Ron!" Harry whines as he follows me back to our room.

"It's her own damn fault," I say wishing he would stop. Tears bother me. They make me feel uncomfortable but when they're Hermione's tears they make me uncomfortable, frustrated, sad and in this case incredibly guilty since she's crying on account of me and Harry. Well, I still think she brought it upon herself but I haven't made it any easier on her.

"She was crying because of us! Can you really believe all you are to her is some guy she can lead on?"

"All I know is she's a helluva a lot more to me than I am to her," I snap, glaring at Harry. He sighs, holding in an angry retort.

"Look, Ron, all I'm saying is maybe we should forgive her. Not because I agree with what she did," he adds hastily as I continue glaring at him in disbelief. "But take tonight as an example if Hermione had been taken or killed thinking we hated her would you ever be able to forgive yourself?"

If he's trying to guilt trip me it's working. Just the idea of someone hurting her makes me want to rip their lungs out. I hate myself for making her cry but more than anything I hate myself for not being able to hate her. No matter how much she'd hurt me or how mad I was at her I couldn't stop my heart from quickening when she drew near.

Harry smiles smugly at me. He thinks he's got me but he hasn't. I may never hate Hermione but I will never forgive her, and that's a guarantee.

"Go on, then," I say feigning a look of contempt. "Go forgive her if that's what you want. Then you two can both start ignoring me for all I care." I turn to keep walking but Harry steps out in front of me.

"I'm on your side!" he moans exasperatedly. "What do I have to do it convince you?"

"Well, you quiting talking about how sorry you feel for Miss Goody Goody would be a start," I say.

"I have to make this right with her," he sighs. "You understand right?"

"Oh yes," I say. "I understand perfectly. But I have to tell you for someone trying so hard to convince me they're on my side you're doing a really bad job!" I push Harry angrily into the wall continuing on my way. This time he doesn't follow me. I feel bad. Harry's only trying to help. I expected him to be more angry with her but no he spends about ten minutes brooding and then he's the same old Harry, getting mad at me for not speaking to her. I always considered myself Harry's best friend, after all the two of us were friends long before Hermione joined us but over the years I've had my doubts about the both of them. It's been a long time since either of them have taken my side against the other, despite what Harry may argue.

"What are you going to do, Weasley when Potter and the Mudblood finally become a couple and you're left as the unwanted third wheel?"

Malfoy's words echo through my head in his sneering voice. I had ignored him when he'd said it, brushing it off but now I wondered if he was right. Was I the third wheel in this friendship?

***

Told From Hermione's POV

"My closet?" Fred asks grinning after everyone has left his room. "I never would have thought."

"When I was little my parents had this huge walk in closet that smelled exactly like my dad's cologne, which is the same type you wear actually -" Fred makes a face "and whenever I was scared or upset I'd hide there, just sitting under my dad's suits for hours, feeling completely safe," I explain sheepishly. "I guess your closet reminds me of home."

Fred takes a step closer to me, making me take notice of our three inch height difference, Fred being the tallest.

"So," he says, "either you're trying to tell me rather strangely to change my cologne or you really like my closet."

"Really like the closet - I mean you, I like you - as a friend," I blush violently as Fred looks at me with amusement. He looks like he wants to say something but doesn't.

"I'm sorry I worried everyone," I say not sure if he wants me to stay or go.

"You did," says Fred. I see a sad look in his eyes for the first time since he came home. "You should have seen Harry and Ron. They were beside themselves. Doesn't that prove they don't hate you?"

"Oh Fred, even if they don't hate me, they still dislike me," I answer blinking back tears while wondering what was making Fred sad. He'd been perfectly content moments ago.

"Make any decisions while you were in there?" he asks turning away to close the door of my former hide out. "You obviously had some time to think."

"Yah," I murmur smiling. "I figured out a lot. Do you think you could get Ginny, Ron and Harry in the dinning room at eight? Lure them there under any pretense, I don't care, as long as it doesn't involve me."

"Sure thing," Fred says somewhat distantly. The sadness in his face tugs at my heart strings. I wish he would tell me what was wrong.

"Thanks for the loan of the closet and for ... everything," I say from the door. How could I have overlooked his friendship for so many years? His puppy dog eyes are still l ingering in my mind when I reach the staircase. Making a hurried decision I ran back to Fred's room, where he stood exactly as I'd left him and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek, breathing in his sweet smell.

"What was that for?" he asks in surprise, touching the mark my lips had made with his hand.

I shrug, my heart brimming with happiness knowing I'm the reason for the grin sweeping over his face.

"Fred, don't change your cologne, ok? I like it," I smile before leaving again. I had things to plan and this time I was determined to make it work.

***

"Fred where are you taking us?" Ron asks irritably.

"You'll see," Fred answers as I listen from behind the kitchen door. I hear three of the wooden chairs squeak as they're pulled out in front of the table.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asks suspiciously.

"Here," I say, stepping out in front of them. They all swivel their heads toward the now open kitchen door.

"I thought here would be a good place to meet seeing how everything started at this table," I pause marvelling that so much had happened since this morning.

"Hermione what's going on?" Ginny asks.

"Today I did a lot of thinking and no matter what you guys think of me there's somet stuff I need to tell you. Please don't say anything till I'm done," my voice shakes as I wave off Ginny's attempt at interrupting. "I never had friends in the Muggle world and I'm not just saying this to make you feel sorry for me," I add seeing the pity in Ron's face. "When I got my acceptance letter to Hogwart's I thought 'This is it. This is my chance to be around people like me, to have friends' but then I got there, tried to hard and everybody labelled me some know-it-all that nobody wanted anything to do with," my eyes clouded over with tears at the memories of my first few weeks of school. "And then you guys, Harry, Ron, you saved me from the troll and my lonliness. I owe you guys so much-"

"Is this little chat going somewhere?" Ron interrupted crossing his arms. I ignore my longing to snap back.

"We're starting to grow apart," I continue. "At least the two of you are moving away from me. I just wanted everything to be like it used to. You guys were starting to get caught up in girls so I convinced myself to like you because I thought it was the only way you'd keep liking me and after awhile I actually did start liking you. I'm sorry I had to play with your feelings but I thought - I thought if I didn't you guy would leave me. ... And Ginny I've never had a girl friend before so could we please all of us just start over again?" I choke back a sob and instinctively take Fred's hand for support. "Because I really don't know what to do if you hate me or if I lost you in some way."

My tears start to come and suddenly Harry's arms are around me, telling me its ok. He held me for what seemed like forever, not that I minded. When we pulled apart I was shocked to see a sheen of glittering tears in his eyes.

"I love you," he says, gripping my shoulders tightly. "I love you as a friend. You're my best friend."

"I love you too," I whisper. "As a friend."

"I love you both," Ginny exclaims from my side.

"Oh Ginny," I say. "I'm so sorry to have dragged you into this whole mess-"

Ginny shakes her head. "It's alright, Hermione. You're forgiven."

I have my friends back, I think cheerfully before I notice one still missing. I turn to Ron, who's standing there watching us in an almost wistful way. When he catches me looking at him he snaps to attention.

"I don't hate you," he says hesitantly and I hold back my sigh of relief sensing a but coming on. "I don't hate you," he says again, "but you've lost me anyway, because the Hermione I was friends with would have told her friends how she felt rather than use and lie to them," he starts to walk away.

"Ron wait!" I shout ignoring Fred and Harry's advice to leave him alone.

"I thought I made my feelings perfectly clear," he says temper flaring as I catch up to him. The tips of his ears are beginning to change colour.

"You did but Ron when a friend does something wrong or out of character you don't just walk away from them. You try to understand what they're going through and then you move on...together."

"Well I can't. I don't understand where you're coming from and I can't move past this. Accept it, Hermione because this is goodbye." He's completely serious as he shuts the door of our five year friendship in my face.